Medical technology marketplace too fragmented

New medical technologies are here and ready to be adopted en masse by Canadians, but the marketplace is too fragmented and access too uneven for that to happen right away, said several speakers at an Ottawa forum on seniors.

The spread of new technology like smartphones that are jam-packed with sensors is happening just as the country is being hit with a wave of baby boomers crossing into old age.

Medical experts and industry representatives alike want to see new technologies embraced that would potentially take some pressure off hospitals by allowing people to do more of their health monitoring from home.

With new tech, however, comes new potential concerns, from privacy issues to affordability to ease of access.